Never Alone
by Spoofie
Summary: When Alex finds herself alone and without a clue about where she is, or who she is, will someone help her remember? Or will she be lost forever? Nalex. Rated for safety.
1. Prom Night

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own WOWP or Camp Rock or any part of it. Only this story ;)**

**A/N: This is my first WOWP/Camp Rock fanfic, so I hope it's okay. It'll be longer, I promise. Please review and tell me what you think, constructive criticism is appreciated. Thanks :-]**

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In her seventeen years of life, Alex Russo had always hated dressing up. The idea of wearing a fancy dress or nice shoes, and doing her hair for hours just to impress someone made her cringe. So, why had she agreed to come with Mitchie to her school's junior prom if she would likely just be sitting on the sidelines, watching as her best friend had the time of her life? For moral support, of course. From time to time, she might shake her head no or give an approving smile every time her friend glanced over, eyes pleading for advice on if this one or that one was a boy she should or shouldn't be with. Heck, maybe she could grab a few snacks and some punch.

After looking herself over and brushing some hair from behind her ear, Alex stepped out of the bathroom and made a face at Mitchie's overly dramatic gasp. Her best friend's smile was contagious, and Alex no longer fought the grin that tugged at her lips. Slowly becoming uncomfortable at the sudden attention to herself, Alex looked down at her light blue sleeveless dress which had intricate patterns on the bodice, which was incredibly form-fitting. These patterns were traced by sequins that seemed to come to life if light reflected in just the right places. The skirt of the dress was plain, and ended several inches above her knees. Silver strappy heels, a component of the outfit that Alex protested but Mitchie had convinced her to wear, added several inches to her normal height. Her dark hair, when curly, hung just past her shoulders, but was now incredibly straight thanks to Mitchie's help.

Mitchie had helped a little with her makeup too, with some subtle silver eyeshadow, a bit of eyeliner, some mascara, and a light peach lipgloss, since Alex only owned more natural colors. Mitchie, as always, looked stunning, but her dark green halter dress and her gold strappy heels only contributed to her look. Alex smiled at her friend, rolling her eyes as she giggled.

"Okay, let's just get this over with," Alex laughed, her silver hoop earrings tickling her cheeks.

"Oh, you know you'll love it," Mitchie teased.

Rolling her eyes again, Alex stifled a laugh and walked with Mitchie to a small black car that looked to be in its twenties. Mitchie stepped into the driver's seat, since it was her car, and turned the key in the ignition. It rattled to life and made a several gurgling noises before receding to a low hum. The little car went down several streets and made many turns before arriving in the school parking lot amongst numerous other vehicles. After locking the car, Mitchie and Alex turned to face the school gym, walked to the doors, and made their way inside after handing a hired usher two tickets.

At first, both girls were dancing and having fun, but Alex eventually stepped to the side when a guy asked Mitchie to dance. She sat in a folding chair that was near all the snacks, with her chin in her hands. Sighing, Alex sat back and stretched. It was getting late.

When Mitchie turned to Alex for a brief second, she smiled, gave a thumbs up, and gestured to the door. Pouting, Mitchie nodded at the other girl, Alex rolling her eyes as if to say, "I'll only be a minute."

Walking towards the gym door, Alex stepped outside and smiled as a cool breeze hit her face. It was difficult to realize how hot it could get with several hundred students packed inside of a gym while dancing. Glancing around, Alex noticed a small bench across the lawn in the school garden.

She sat down, sighing, and rested her chin on her hand again. A chill went down her spine and a small shriek escaped her lips as someone touched her shoulder, but she quickly stifled it with a hand. Looking up at a tall, dark figure, she let out a shaky breath.

"Do I know you?" she asked, squinting her eyes for a better look at the man standing before her.

The sky was cloudy, so the stars and moon were shielded and only a faint light came from evenly spaced streetlamps.

The figure was silent. She looked him up and down a second time, trying to remember if she'd seen him before.

Again, she asked, "Do I know you?"

No reply. Her heart beat just a little faster than usual. But just a little. Alex Russo didn't get scared. Her senses became more acute, as she could hear and feel the rhythm of loud music coming from the gym, just a few paces away. And then she heard something she didn't expect. Her eyes darted to the street where a utility van pulled to the side of the road.

And then her heart started pounding faster than before. She could feel it against her neck and her chest. Standing, she uneasily made her way around the man.

"I should go," she stated, hoping that the gym wasn't as far away as it looked now. The school looked as though it was becoming more and more distant.

Tearing her gaze from the man for a split second, she calculated how quickly she might be able to run in her heels if necessary. Looking back again, the man was gone. Had he left? Was he merely a figment of her imagination? Maybe someone slipped something into the punch she drank and he was merely an illusion.

But then, an illusion couldn't cause the searing pain she just began to feel in her right side. Or the fact that the world was now flipped sideways and the cold, hard concrete seemed to rise up and hit her in the face. No, an illusion couldn't drag Alex Russo into a van and drive off with her while she was unconscious.

But a man could.


	2. Getting Lost

**Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own WOWP or Camp Rock, I only wrote this storyline.**

**A/N: Thanks to whoever has read this and I hope you enjoy! Your comments/reviews are loved. Thanks! :-]**

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Mitchie POV

I watched Alex leave, knowing she'd be back in a few minutes. She was never the type for dances, especially not proms. I just love having her there whenever I need her, and I know she's a good friend when she comes – even if she doesn't like it.

Turning back to the guy I was dancing with… Jack was his name, I think… I smiled and kept going. When the song finished, I nodded to him and he nodded back as we both walked away to who-knows-where. That wouldn't be the first awkward moment tonight. I smiled widely to myself and sat down, waiting for Alex to come back in.

Resting my head on my hands, I sighed and looked around. I closed my eyes for a while, wondering when my friend would be back. I noticed she left her plate on her chair, probably meaning that she was going to come back soon. Because she would never just leave her food there if she wasn't coming back in a few minutes. I brushed any negative thoughts off and began watching various couples dancing.

Every few seconds I would glance back at the door, and then at the clock, then back at the door. It had been about fifteen minutes since she walked outside. I knew she needed fresh air, but even Alex wouldn't need that much time. I would give her five more minutes, then I'd go outside and check on her.

Knowing my friend, she'd probably lost track of time, so it wouldn't be a biggie.

Five minutes had passed, and I made my way to the gym doors. Pushing them open, I stepped outside and looked around. My dress was fluttering against my knees and my hair whipped against my face. If anything, I would've thought this moment was peaceful.

But it was too peaceful. Almost eerie. Eerie enough that it would be too quiet for anyone but me to be out here. I looked anyways, frowning after circling the school twice, and my heart beating faster after searching a fourth time around the school. I could feel tears sting the corners of my eyes when I noticed her cell phone on the ground by the street.

It was cracked.

I sprinted inside, as fast as my heels would permit, choking on tears. This was not good.

Alex POV

I began to wake up, but left my eyes closed. I couldn't stand the excruciating pain in my ribs or the tearing pain I felt every time I moved my left ankle. The soreness I felt all over. But closing my eyes helped. It kept away any thoughts I might have about whatever more pain was to come. If I didn't see it, it wasn't real, right?

No, of course not. But it made me feel better thinking I was safer with my eyes closed.

I turned to be more comfortable, if that's possible when you're strapped in the very back seat of a van against your will. My head was against the window, making the headache I have just a bit more bearable. My legs were pulled up as far as they could come against me, my calves and silver heel-adorned feet against the fabric seats.

Shifting to find a more comfortable position, I gasped as I felt more pain shoot up my ankle and to my kneecap. Crap. My leg was probably broken or something.

I forced my eyes open, as far as they could go. I felt dizzy and couldn't think clearly; breathing was hard too. But hey, that's what you get for hitting your head on a sidewalk and then on the side of a van when you're being thrown into it.

Peeking just above the headrest of the seat in front of me, I was able to see two men. A tall one with shaggy brown hair, maybe in his twenties, and a shorter one with coarse black hair that was probably recently cut. He was probably in college if I didn't know better.

I heard a soft moan, and realized it had escaped my lips when I felt nausea kick in. This was probably the worst day of my life. But who was keeping track?

The taller man, who was driving, shifted his mirror slightly and looked at me.

"She's awake, Ed," he whispered.

The man I perceived to be Ed shifted his torso in his seat so he could look at me. I probably looked like crap, thanks to them. He sighed and bent over to grab a small brown tube. He twisted its cap off and took a tiny pill from it.

Ed proceeded to unbuckle himself and lifted himself as best he could over the seat. Quickly, he shoved the pill into my mouth and forced me to swallow.

And that's all I remembered until I saw nothing but black.

I woke up again, but it was still dark out. I could hear my stomach rumble, but was confused since I only must've eaten a few hours ago. It was difficult to lift my eyelids – I felt so tired. But I looked around. It seemed like we were in a forest.

The van was bouncing this way and that, jerking me every which way it desired. _Stupid gravity_, I commented to myself.

I could hear sticks breaking and stones being tossed onto miscellaneous objects. I turned myself so I would be facing away from the driver, knowing that if he saw me awake I would just have to take one of those pills again.

Brushing my hair from my face, however well I could with my wrists bound, I tried to find a comfortable position and think of a way out. But there wasn't a way. Jumping out of a moving van would be crazy. Jumping out of a moving van with two men trying to stop me from leaving would be crazier. And jumping from a moving van that was going through an unfamiliar forest with my wrists bound was just insane.

I would have to wait for another opportunity.

I sat there, hoping that the van would make a maintenance stop or that the two goons would get hungry, and maybe slow down a bit.

Right now, though, there was no sign of civilization. I shivered when I thought about what might happen to me.

Sighing once again, I decided to sit up. I was already in deep and there was nowhere to go but deeper. Cringing when my side started to throb, I placed my hand on the seat cushion to help me up. Both men noticed, and slowed down.

"Where are we?" I pried, noticing my voice was scratchy and hoarse. I realized a sudden dryness in my throat and I licked my lips, trying to keep them from cracking.

"That's none of your business," the taller one replied.

"Well, seeing as you've kidnapped me and dragged me around all night, I'd assume that it's actually more my business than yours," I curtly answered him. Screw safety, I was more angry than I'd ever been. Or, more than I can remember being.

I looked at the briefcase that was in the seat in front of me. On top of it was a pocketknife.

Quickly thinking, I bluntly told the two men that I had to use the restroom. The shorter one, Ed, looked at the taller one, whose name I couldn't recall. Both nodded and the van was pulled over.

"Come around to the side door," said Ed.

I slid off of the back seat and crouched so I would be able to keep from hitting my head on the top of the van. It was difficult to walk, but at least I could get my feet moving. I tripped, or so the goons thought, and landed on the briefcase with my hands still tied behind my back.

Grabbing the pocketknife as fast as I could, I concealed it in my hands. I prayed neither of them saw.

When the door was opened, I made my way out and glared at Ed. Keeping my head high, or as high as it could go when a strange man leads you behind a tree and walks a few feet away so he won't make it more awkward than it is, I leaned against the tree.

I flipped the pocketknife until I found its sharpest setting and began to cut at the threads of the rope until my hands were free. I grabbed the ropes and gently set them on the ground so it wouldn't make a sound, and rubbed my wrists. They stung from the tight rope but I felt them tingling, which was probably a good sign. I unstrapped my heels and tied them around my wrists.

I placed the pocketknife in between my teeth and took a deep breath.

Then I ran.

Ran as fast as I could from the two strange men and the big white van that had held me prisoner for what felt like days. I sprinted as quickly as my ankle and side would permit. It was freezing out, and I could see my breath shooting from my mouth.

The cold breeze stung my eyes and made it hard to breathe. My already dry throat felt as if it was threatening to crack.

But I still ran. I weaved in and out of trees, and looked back once to see if I was being followed. No one was there. Well, no one I could see, at least.

I kept running. I would never feel safe enough until I was out of the woods and in civilization.

My feet protested, my knees ached, my ankle felt as though it had shattered. My side burned and my ribs felt bruised. My bare back and legs had goosebumps, but I was too afraid to notice. Yes, the tough girl who could frighten the captain of her school's football team, was afraid of two scrawny men.

Normal POV

They had stopped her before, nearly killed her. What would stop them from doing that now, when she had run away from them? It could risk their chance of freedom, so it was them or her. Alex prayed that they hadn't noticed until later.

Looking back once more, Alex realized that there was movement behind her. The crackling of sticks and the scattering of stones sent chills down her spine. Finding the nearest tree, Alex thanked God that she went out every summer and climbed her favorite trees with her best friend and her little brother.

Grabbing a branch just above her head, Alex pulled herself up and sat down on it. This would be difficult. Placing her left ankle in a small hold that had been created by some creature, she hoisted herself up and gasped at the pain in her ankle, nearly dropping the pocketknife. Reaching up again, Alex pulled herself to a branch that was nearly forty feet off of the ground and sat down on it.

What made climbing even more difficult was the skirt. It had caught on a few twigs and tore in several places, but that didn't stop her. Alex laid as flat as she could against the branch and waited, hoping that she wouldn't be seen. It was still cold out, so the trees didn't have all of their leaves, but there were enough to cover her from anyone who might be searching for her.

Keeping her breathing steady but shallow, Alex squeezed her eyes shut, as if that would make her abductors vanish. She heard a car door gently close, as if not to make any sound for someone who shouldn't want to be found.

She could see a flashlight just below her, and she wished that she had climbed further. The light shone throughout the forest, and she could hear nocturnal creatures scattering every which way they desired.

Keeping her hand shut tight around the pocketknife, Alex eyed the man standing directly below her.

And then the forest was dark again. She heard a man utter several curses before returning to his van, and heard him drive off. She could still hear the van, and when it hit gravel and drove out of earshot, she still waited, not wanting to take any chances.

After what felt like several hours, she sighed, though her heart rate still hadn't gone down and her breathing was still shaky.

Her feet touched the ground, and for a moment Alex felt safe.

She walked through the brush, not knowing which way civilization might be or which way would lead her back to the men, if they were still waiting for her. Silently, she kept walking. As tired as she was, she had come this far with her life, and she would keep going.

Finally, reaching a small clearing where the forest met the road, Alex stumbled and sat down under a large tree, exhausted. She laid her head back and closed her eyes, not realizing she was falling asleep.

Though her breathing was labored, she was sure no one would hear her, and she believed she was well-hidden enough that no one could see her. But then again, Alex had been wrong before.


	3. Memories

**Disclaimer: I don't own WOWP or Camp Rock. I only wrote this storyline.**

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! (2 whole reviews!! ;D ) I'm hoping for more input and I'd love to know what you guys think about the story.**

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Alex POV

I woke with a start, wondering how I'd fallen asleep. I knew I was tired, but I shouldn't have let my guard down. I felt the damp ground and realized how cold I really was.

Though it was difficult to see because of the darkness, I could tell my arms were probably red and my fingertips, nose, and ears were numb. I stood and rubbed my arms, trying to keep the circulation going so I could stay as warm as possible.

I began to walk across the street I had slept by and stopped dead in my tracks. I realized a figure coming from my left directly towards me. I could tell by the faint glow from overhead streetlamps that it was a man. I knew for sure it wasn't one of _them_, but I wasn't going to take any chances.

Backing away slowly, then turning and running, I found it was much easier to move because I didn't notice the shattering pain in my leg or the constant throbbing in my side that would bring anyone else to the ground.

I swear I heard the person call out to me once or twice, asking me to stop. But I couldn't, not now.

But lucky me, I tripped and fell on a rock, scraping my already pained leg in the process. I sat up as best as I could, but the pain in my throat, side, ankle… everywhere…. just wouldn't stop. It was like I was paralyzed.

I noticed the figure was getting closer and closer. As I was gasping for air, I felt tears stream down my face and realized how scared I really was. I backed away while I was still on the ground, still facing the boy.

I screamed several times for him to leave me alone, until I realized that I was just screaming at him in my head. Of course he couldn't hear me. And besides, if I were to scream for help, it would be impossible to hear. We were far enough away from any civilization and my voice was too hoarse for any of that sort of strain.

So I just stopped. I sat there, head on my knees, crying. It was pathetic. I was pathetic.

"Hey," I heard him say, in more of a brooding voice than mocking.

"Don't touch me," I spat. I could almost feel the venom in my tone, trickling over each syllable.

"It's okay, I won't hurt you," he assured.

I looked up and noticed a boy around seventeen or eighteen years old. He had short, dark curls, some of which brushed against his eyebrows, which he was raising as if he were asking a question. His dark eyes contrasted his light skin, and his crooked smile would lift even the saddest of spirits.

Without noticing, I reached up and took his outstretched hand, but gasped at the sudden pain in my injured ankle and fell back on my butt.

I looked up at him, determined, brushed some hair from my face, and slowly stood up again, this time with less pressure on that ankle. When I stood, I realized the throbbing in my side had continued and my headache was painfully pulsing. The boy looked incredibly worried.

"Let me take those from you," he suggested, gesturing to my shoes and the stolen pocketknife.

All I could do was nod and lazily reach my hand out to him, and he took the items from me.

"Are you alright?" he asked, more concern filling his eyes.

I slowly nodded, and winced when my headache told me otherwise.

"What happened to you?" he prodded.

"I think… I was kidnapped, but I don't…" I could only whisper, my throat burned from lack of water.

He pulled a flashlight from a bag and then placed my stuff in it too. I noticed he had a winter jacket on, and the cold seemed to erase my other thoughts. I realized just how cold it was and began to shiver again, rubbing my hands on my arms.

"It's okay if you can't remember," he said, "But let me take you back to my place, my mom can check and see if we need to take you to a doctor."

I nodded, looking down at my dirty feet and realizing how swollen my ankle was.

Cursing to myself, I looked up again and nodded. He smiled, turned on his heel, and started walking. He turned back when he realized I was walking slowly, trying not to irritate my ankle any more.

"Need any help?"

I shrugged and began to walk faster, stopping quickly and gasping when he turned his flashlight on. Suddenly breathing became harder and soon I couldn't get any air in my lungs. I fell to my knees, gasping for any relief that I would feel if I started breathing again. He ran to my side just in time for me to pass out. Wonderful.

Mitchie POV

I had told myself everything would be fine. Alex would come back to school the next day and apologize for forgetting me at the dance, and thank me for finding her phone. I'd be angry at her, but I'd forgive her right away since we're best friends.

Well, that's what I hoped at least. But reality came crashing down on me when the bell rang for first period, and for the rest of the day, Alex wasn't at school. She wasn't there on Friday, either. I knew she wouldn't come, but… there was always a glimmer of hope when it came to Alex, right? She'd always find a way to dig herself out of a mess, even if she got herself in deep.

So why worry?

Well, for one – Alex has a big mouth and could easily get herself in trouble. That's why I called her parents and stayed at her house almost all night with them telling them how strong she was and how we'd find her, she just needed to know we were looking.

I stayed when the police came and explained everything. I gave them her phone and they said they'd keep in touch. I was worried because there was one thing I had failed to notice right by her cell phone on the night of the prom.

A small puddle, no bigger than my fist, of blood. When they told me, it was hard not to cry. But I had to be strong. I had to be strong for my best friend. Because if I cried anymore, it would all be real – she really would be missing and maybe she'd never come back. So I didn't cry. I just sat on the couch and stared at the television, which was off. I stared and waited for my friend to come.

But would she come? No one knew the answer to that.

Normal POV

Alex woke up in a huge white bedroom, and sat straight up. Unfortunately, this caused a coughing fit so she had to lay back down and bury her face in the pillow until she stopped.

She was no longer in her blue dress, but a pink silk nightgown which flowed just above her knees. She had no idea whose it was, or where she was, or how she got there.

For a moment, she flashed back to the forest and the boy.

Yes, the boy – he must have brought her to this place. Maybe it was his house. As soon as she heard floorboards creaking under the plush carpet, Alex turned over and hid her face once again, afraid of who might be walking into the room.

A light switched on in the hallway and three soft knocks on the door could be heard before the knob twisted and someone entered.

"Sweetie, are you awake?" a sweet, motherly voice inquired. There were other whispering voices behind the woman, but Alex couldn't make any out right now. She was still dizzy.

Turning over, Alex nodded, her eyes still shut tight.

The woman walked over to the bed and sat down on the foot of the bed, making it creak slightly.

"Can you sit up?" the woman asked.

Alex flipped over on her back and slowly sat up, rubbing her forehead as she did so.

"How do you feel, sweetheart?"

"Okay, I guess. My head hurts a bit and my side and ankle don't feel that great," the confused girl replied. "Where are we?"

The woman pursed her lips and explained, "I'm terribly sorry, I forgot all about introductions. I'm Rebecca Gray, my son found you in the woods while he was coming home from work and he brought you back here. You must have been through a lot, sweetie."

Alex nodded and thanked Rebecca.

The Mrs. Grey, eyes still concerned, looked Alex up and down.

"The doctor came last night and looked at your ankle, it seems to have been fractured in two places but nothing time won't heal. And you bruised three ribs, so you'll just have to watch your activity for two to four weeks. And your headache was a minor concussion, nothing much but you should sleep for a while longer. Your breathing problems were nothing, all you needed was some water. Seems your throat was closing up because you were so dehydrated, poor thing," Rebecca explained.

Alex, enthralled in the explanation, didn't notice five boys standing on the other side of the room, leaning against the wall until one cleared his throat.

"Pardon me," Rebecca apologized again, "These are my sons. Nate is the one on the left, Shane is in the middle, Jason to the right, and Frankie's in the doorway. And my husband, Kevin."

Each boy nodded when introduced, Alex immediately recognizing Nate as the one who helped her the night before. "Nice to meet you," Alex smiled sweetly.

Shane was the first to push himself from the wall and walk up to stand by his mother.

"So," Shane began, "What's your name?"

Alex looked down for a moment and pursed her lips. She drew her knees to her chest and set her head on them, thinking.

She knew her name, of course she did. She'd never forget something so important. Leaning back, Alex scratched her head and quickly drew her eyes back to the floor again.

She couldn't remember. Of all things, how could she forget her name?

Seeing that his question upset her, Shane backed away a few steps and Rebecca patted her on the back.

"It's okay, dear," she comforted, "It'll all come with time."

Pushing the boys out, Rebecca turned back to Alex and closed the door, walking back to the bed again.

"If there's anything you need, just let me know. We can talk, if you want, in the morning," she said quietly, and then slipped out the door herself.

Alex sighed and laid back in bed, but couldn't sleep. A tear rolled down her cheek, knowing that she couldn't remember anything from before last night. She couldn't even remember who she was.

Eventually, she fell asleep again, knowing only that time would heal her pain and her memory.

**A/N: Okay, so that's actually not really how I pictured writing this, but it works ;) I'm having a bit of trouble with my next chapter, but it'll be up shortly. Thanks for reading!**


	4. A Good Feeling

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own WOWP or Camp Rock or any part of it. Only this storyline ;)**

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long. I've been working really hard in school and had a writer's block every few days, so I had to take a little break and come back to it. Some POV's might be short, so sorry about that one. Thanks so much for reading! :)**

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Alex POV

I woke up several times during the night because of dreams about the men that kidnapped me. They weren't vivid enough to help me remember anything but they were detailed enough to scare me. This time I woke up screaming, but I thought no one heard me.

I sat in bed and played with several strands of my hair, realizing I still needed to shower but I didn't smell.

Several tears streamed down my face and I realized just how frightening of an experience I had just been through. There were footsteps outside my door but I thought nothing of it until the door opened a crack.

I pulled my covers up to my chest and waited for the person to come in.

Nate peeked his head through the door and saw I was awake. I smiled at him.

"You okay? I heard screaming," he said.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just a dream," I explained.

He nodded and stepped all the way in the room, walking so he was standing at the foot of the bed.

"So you really don't remember anything?" he asked, scratching his head and yawning.

I shrugged and shook my head. My stomach made a loud rumbling noise and I blushed, thanking the fact that it was too dark in the room to see the reddish color of my cheeks.

Nate laughed and asked if I was hungry. I nodded and he gestured to the door saying, "Come on, I'll show you where the kitchen is."

I brushed the comforter and sheets of my legs and realized a brace was around my ankle. I looked at it for a while then hopped slowly out of bed, following Nate out the door.

He led me through a long carpeted hallway and helped me down the stairs, also covered in carpet. I kept one hand on the railing and another around his neck for support. When we reached the bottom, he led me through what I assumed to be their dining room, which was decorated with several pictures of the family and an antique table and chairs, into a large kitchen. There was a walk-in pantry and huge fridge, probably because of the three teenage boys, a growing boy, and two adults.

Nate opened the pantry and asked, "Anything look good?"

I thought everything looked good, but I wasn't sure about one thing. "What if I have allergies?" I asked.

"Well, what if? I guess we'll never know until you try," Nate chuckled.

I laughed and slapped his arm, reaching into the pantry and grabbing an apple and some cereal. We sat down at the kitchen counter and he asked me all these questions that I couldn't answer, and I asked him all these questions that were easy for him.

"So where do you work?" I asked, sipping some orange juice and taking a bite of my apple.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I don't really _work_. Shane, Jason and I are part of a band," he explained.

I nodded and simply replied, "That's cool."

He chuckled and rested his head on his hands. The clock on the microwave read 4 AM, but I probably wouldn't be able to go back to sleep.

"Do you have anything else to do?" I asked him, while taking the bowl and apple core to the sink, "Because I'm not that tired anymore."

He thought for a moment and hopped off of his chair, telling me to follow him. He led me down another flight of stairs and into his basement. I stared up at the huge flat screen television that was against the wall.

"We could watch a movie," Nate suggested.

I nodded and walked over to the huge black leather couch and sat down on the incredibly comfortable surface. I found a blanket and wrapped it around myself, waiting for Nate to sit down too.

We had flipped through all the channels but nothing was on, so he decided to order some chic flick that he probably thought I'd like. For the beginning, I laughed at all the scenes that another girl might cry at, wondering if that's how I'd always been.

I guess I fell asleep after the first hour though, because I don't remember anything after that.

Nate POV

She sat down on the couch and invited me to join her. I was a bit tired, but not enough to fall asleep. Apparently _she_ was though, because about an hour into the movie, she was out. I couldn't blame her, my mom's old movies would put anyone to sleep.

I drifted off several times too, after I turned off the television. I woke up once with her leaning against me, her head on my shoulder and her arm lazily thrown across my chest. Something about her touch sent feelings through me that I had never felt before. I felt my heart beat so hard I was surprised she didn't wake up because of it, and a tingling sensation that was close to an electric shock. But it felt amazing. So I didn't dare move and ruin the moment that might never happen again.

It became lighter out, and I woke up again. Shane's noisy footsteps down into the basement were the cause. I looked up when he entered the room.

He noticed her and he smiled, gave me a thumbs up, and mouthed 'nice' to me. I rolled my eyes and sat up straight… a little too fast. The girl I had just met but felt like I could never let go of sat up instantly.

She rubbed her eyes and scratched her head, adjusting to the lighter environment. She looked a bit startled when she noticed Shane and I, but then subtly nodded to herself and subtly muttered something like, "Oh, right," under her breath before tucking her uninjured leg under herself. She was still wrapped in the blanket my grandma had knitted.

"Morning," Shane waved, tried to hold back a huge smile, but failing horribly at it. He waggled his eyebrows at me. I pretended not to notice.

She looked a bit confused and seemed to wonder why he was smiling. I hoped she wouldn't figure it out.

Clearing my throat, I jumped up and grabbed the remote off the coffee table, switching on the television.

Shane smiled even wider, almost deviously, and plopped down in between both of us.

"So, what'd you guys do last night?" he asked us, looking at her.

She shifted and said, "I don't really remember too well. We watched a movie for a while, because I couldn't sleep. He was just helping me out." She looked over at me and smiled, and I felt my heart skip a beat. How could a girl do that to me?

I grinned and sat back, a little more relaxed. Until Shane fake-yawned and stretched both of his arms out, behind both me and her.

Was he expecting her to fall for him? Oh well. She gave him this glare that would scare the crap out of anyone and he moved his arm, placing it in his lap.

I tried not to laugh, but a guffaw had burst out and she giggled a little too, patting Shane's shoulder.

We all looked to the stairs when we heard small footsteps rushing down the stairs. Frankie jumped from the second to last step and ran over to us.

"Mom wants to talk to you," he said, pointing at her.

She nodded and stood up, removing the blanket and handing it to me. She winked and walked upstairs, holding Frankie's hand as if he were her little brother.

Shane scooted closer and elbowed me in the side. "So dude, mind pointing me in the direction of the woods where you found her? If there are any more where she came from, I am so going to look."

I rolled my eyes again and turned my attention to the television. It was pretty easy to ignore Shane. Even on his more obnoxious days it was easy to tune him out.

After a few minutes, he asked, "So you gonna tell her we're famous or what?"

All the random questions were getting on my nerves. I shrugged and said, "Maybe."

Wow, for a family of stars, we have pretty uneventful conversations.

Alex POV

Rebecca told me she would take me out today to buy a couple outfits just in case I was staying with the Gray family for a while.

She also said she'd need a picture of me to send to the police department so they could look in their missing persons database and see if I was there. But she said it could take up to three or four weeks for someone to find out who I was and maybe even longer for me to remember everything.

So I would be here for a while, which I was cool with. Nate was a sweetheart which made Shane's… _attitude_… more bearable. Don't get me wrong, I like the guy. I just don't know him well enough yet to understand what goes on inside of his head.

It was lucky, too, because Mrs. Gray was only a size larger than I was, and she had nice clothing choice, so I was able to wear a blue sweater and dark-wash jeans to the mall. She had the same shoe size so I wore some black flats as well.

After we found a few outfits, we sat down for lunch in the food court. We both had burgers.

"Thanks so much for doing this, Rebecca. I mean, you barely even know me… and I don't know who I am… and you're doing all this for me."

She shook her head, "Sweetie, it's alright. I'm sure your family would do the same. You know, they raised a lovely girl. They're lucky to have you. I always wanted a little girl but ended up with four boys." We both laughed and ate silently.

Mrs. Gray looked up from her burger and said, "Oh, God, napkins! I forgot. I'll be right back."

I nodded and took another bite. I wanted so badly to remember… my name at the least.

I jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I put the burger down and looked up to see a group of three boys, one with dark brown hair and amazingly good looks. The two boys behind him had similar straight hair, one black haired and one blond.

"Can I help you?" I smiled, a little too fakely.

He nodded. "We just saw you were sittin' alone and wondered if you wanted to join us." The two boys behind him nodded. Wow, they were like mimes. Strange.

"No, I'm with someone."

His face fell for a second before it became a smile again. He probably thought I didn't notice. "You could ditch them?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you could get the chance to know the man of your dreams," he smirked.

I smiled as politely as I could and in the sweetest voice I could muster, answered, "Okay, I'd love to. Just let me know when you find him."

The dark haired boy frowned. I turned back to my food and could hear the snickering coming from the two boys behind me.

"Shut up," he said angrily.

"Oh come on, Chris," one of the boys said, "You're just mad because she's the first girl to reject you."

Chris sniffled and stated matter-of-factly, "She'll come around."

I giggled a bit louder than necessary at his assumption. I didn't really think we'd be seeing each other too often anyways.

Mitchie POV

It had been a week and two days since Alex went missing. I was so afraid that something had happened to her that it was difficult to eat. I'd been spending the nights at her house. Both for my comfort and for her parents, and of course her brothers.

It was hard for all of us, obviously. We couldn't understand what might have happened to her. But something kept me going, made it easier to cope. I had a feeling, deep down, that she was still alive – just… not here. But somewhere.

No, if she were… if I dare say it, _gone_, then I would feel total emptiness. I don't know how this feeling works, I just know that she's still out there.

She just needs someone to find her.

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**Really Quick A/N: Thank you all soooo much for all the reviews and comments. You really have no idea how awesome they are to read and know that you all actually like it ;-) Anyways, I'm working on the next chapter. This week will busy so it might be up in a few days. Thanks again, you all rock!! :D**


	5. Little Brother

**Disclaimer: I don't own WOWP or Camp Rock :) Only the storyline.**

**A/N: I really hope you like this chapter. It's quite different from how I pictured it, but I think it turned out okay. Don't forget to tell me what you think! :D**

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Normal POV

Alex woke up again in the middle of the night, not realizing how loud she'd been screaming. Rebecca was sitting on the bed next to her, trying to shake her awake. Nate was standing at the other side of the room.

Sitting up, Alex touched her face which she realized was wet with tears.

"What happened?" she asked.

Rebecca smiled, making Alex feel better, especially when she realized she was breathing heavily and her heart was racing. "I don't know, sweetie. You just had another dream is all. Do you remember anything?"

Alex closed her eyes and tried to remember, but only a few images came to her mind. The two men – Ed and the nameless one – were watching her. She was curled in the corner of… a motel room? It seemed so.

The cheap lavender wallpaper was beginning to peel off where the wall met the ceiling. A dim light gave the room an eerie glow. What was she doing there?

Suddenly voices came from one of them, she didn't bother to look. Her wrists were a purplish color, likely bruising from having her hands bound, and she stared down at them. It was hard to hear what they were saying.

"Man, I don't know about this…..could be dangerous for…..not really a good idea if…especially since…"

Their practically inaudible conversation was cut short when another man walked in the room – but she couldn't see his face. It was as if he had a black shroud over it. He was shorter, a bit plump, and had two rings on both his hands – on his right, they were on his thumb and middle finger, and on the left they were on his pinky and index finger. Each ring was gold with some sort of engraving on each, but it was impossible to read.

Alex just stayed in the corner, not wanting to look up – the man was asking questions about her, if she knew anything too confidential, mostly.

But of course she didn't. She was too drugged up and tired to understand much of what they were saying, let alone where she was.

The man then looked over to Alex… he had something in his hand. She backed further into the corner, noting that her shoes were still on, and her heels ached.

He took a step closer to her, looked her up and down… and everything went blank. Alex completely lost her train of thought and refocused on the present, and on the worried woman in front of her.

With concerned eyes, she placed her hand on Alex's shoulder. "You want to talk about it?" she asked.

Alex explained the significant details and left out any unimportant aspects.

Glancing up, her eyes met Nate's for a brief moment. He looked angry. Not at being awake at this ungodly hour, but at the fact that someone had put her through all of this. She had been living a normal, probably amazing life, and now she didn't remember any of it and she was scared. Even when she smiled at him to reassure him, he could see it in her eyes – the fear of not knowing… the fear that it could happen again.

Picking her hand up, Alex wiped tears from her face and sat up straighter. "Thank you so much Rebecca. For everything… for being here… for letting me be here. You have no idea how much it means to me."

Rebecca pulled her into a hug, shaking her head. "Sweetheart, don't worry about it – we love you being here. You're like the daughter I never had."

Mrs. Gray smiled at her, stood up, and said goodnight. Nate was still standing in the doorway, seeming to be in a slightly better mood, but there was still a pained look on his face. As if he wanted to help but couldn't. Or didn't know how.

Alex stood up, tenderly placing her feet on the ground for fear of hurting her injured ankle, and walked up to Nate. Barely realizing her next action, Alex hugged him tightly, thanking him. He closed his eyes, hugging her back, feeling his heart flutter again – wishing this moment could last forever.

"Thank me for what?" he asked, slightly confused.

"Everything… I mean, I wouldn't be here without you," she said, looking up at him.

Shaking his head, Nate claimed, "I was just in the right place at the right time…"

"Well, that's good enough for me," she laughed. She mouthed a thank you one more time and leaned into him, comforted.

Mitchie POV

It was hard to bear it – my best friend had been gone for so long, and there was no way to find out if she was okay. I just had to hear her voice, see her laughing, know that she was fine. I wish it was as easy as picking up a phone and calling her, reassuring myself, knowing that she wasn't in any trouble.

I prayed every night she would come home safely. It was hard to focus in school knowing that the girl you had known since you were in preschool, the girl who stood up for you and you stood up for, had been ripped from your life and you had no idea whether she was going to come back.

But I had to be strong. And after we sent in a picture of Alex along with a description to the local police station, they'd been in contact with places near us. Apparently there were a few sightings of a girl who looked similar to her somewhere in California. That was a pretty good distance from New York, but we were flying over there anyways. Because even if it was a slim chance, it was still a chance… and that was enough for me. That was enough for her brothers and for her parents.

So we were flying out tomorrow, to look for her. We weren't positive we would find her, but it was pretty obvious that she was out there somewhere. Because I know… somehow I know that if she was gone, I would feel it… I would be able to tell I lost my best friend.

Normal POV

Alex woke again to the beating of warm sun on her face, light illuminating the entire bedroom. She turned over, feeling as though someone was watching her.

She rolled onto her back and sat up, suddenly just feet away from a pair of young, curious eyes.

"Can I help you, Frankie?" she asked, rubbing her eyes and smiling at the boy.

"No, I was just wondering if you were still here. I just walked in," he explained.

Alex giggled, "Of course I'm still here, where would I go?"

Shrugging, Frankie said, "Well, I dunno. So does that mean you're like my sister now?"

She laughed louder and stretched, looking at the alarm clock… 9:45 am. "Only if you want me to be."

He nodded rapidly and hugged her, whispering, "That means I have the prettiest sister in the world!"

"That's so sweet, Frankie. You know, you're a little gentleman. I bet your mom's very proud of you. Now you'll just have to teach it to Shane and a few million other guys, and I'm sure the world will be a nicer place."

He laughed, taking Alex's hand and walking her downstairs.

Mrs. Gray smiled at the two. "Did you have a better night's sleep?" she asked.

Nodding, Alex opened her mouth to thank Rebecca again when Frankie spoke up. "Mom, she's my new sister, you know. That means you're not the only girl in the family anymore!" he informed her, his eyes bright, looking ecstatic.

"Well, that's wonderful, darling, thank you for finding someone who will keep my sanity in this crazy household," she said, bending down to kiss him on the forehead.

"Honey, are you hungry?" Rebecca asked Alex.

Several grumbling noises from her stomach answered the mother's question.

"What do you want for breakfast?" she asked. Alex shrugged, saying, "Anything you have is fine, I'm sure I'll eat anything."

She laughed, rubbing her stomach. Mrs. Gray smiled and held up a box of Toaster Strudels. "These okay?" she asked.

Alex nodded, and Rebecca popped them into the toaster.

The Gray's kitchen was beautiful. It had various neutral-colored square tiles covering the ground under everyone, and light tan colored marble counters along the sides of the kitchen. White cabinets lined parts of the wall, as well as providing for storage areas of other kitchen necessities under the counters. There was a small window just above a marble sink with ivory handles and a silver faucet. The huge fridge took up most of the wall it was against. In the center of the kitchen was the island, the same color as the counters, where Alex and Frankie had taken a seat.

Alex was so caught up in her inspection of the room that she jumped when she heard the pastries pop out of the toaster. Mrs. Gray placed them on a plate and handed them to her "new daughter."

Once finished with breakfast, Alex went upstairs to shower with the new apple shampoo and conditioner she bought with Rebecca. She changed into light wash jeans and a dark green v-neck t-shirt and a white lacey tank top underneath. After brushing her teeth and blow-drying then straightening her hair, Alex put on a bit of makeup and walked downstairs to play board games with her new little brother.

After beating her at Trouble twice and losing once, Frankie decided they should watch a movie. Alex happily complied, tying her hair into a ponytail.

The two watched _Bolt_, but about three-quarters of the way through the movie heard loud footsteps upstairs. Alex looked down at Frankie who sighed and said, "It's just Shane and his friends."

Alex nodded, and didn't budge when she heard what might have been several elephants sprinting down the stairs, laughing. She could distinguish four voices, her attention faltering a bit when she heard Chris' being one of them. _Great_, she thought. The huge couch was facing away from the stairs… maybe he wouldn't recognize the back of her head?

She slumped down a little more where she was sitting when the room went silent – and it wasn't because the boys had left.

One of them whispered, "Dude, I didn't know you had a sister."

Shane whispered back, "She's not my sister; she's just staying with us for a while."

Obviously, boys aren't great at whispering.

Alex coughed, obviously faking it, hinting that she could hear them.

"Do you think she can hear us?" one said.

Alex rolled her eyes and whispered as loudly as possible to Frankie, "Jeez, your brother is horrible at whispering. He might need some practice; do you think you can teach him?"

Frankie apparently thought this was hilarious and snorted, cracking up and leaning forward. His laughter was contagious because after a few seconds Alex was holding her sides because they were starting to hurt.

After a minute, the two calmed down, Alex saying, "Deep breaths, Frankie, we still have to finish our movie."

Shane leaned over the edge of the couch close to Frankie, but looking at Alex. "Mind if we join you?" he asked her, with a charming smile.

Alex nodded, smiling widely, but saying, "I do, but it's up to Frankie since this was his idea."

Frankie looked up at Alex, shaking his head. Not caring that anyone recognized her, Alex turned around on the couch to face Shane and his friends.

"I guess that's a no, sorry," she grinned, turning to sit back down.

She realized that, while she turned, Chris had his eye on her – obviously remembering the day at the mall. "Hey, do I know you from somewhere? Didn't we meet at the mall?" he asked.

Alex smiled, turning again, "Uh, no, I don't recall."

He seemed taken aback, obviously he wasn't used to being forgotten. "Yeah, it was you… at the food court, remember?"

Her grin widened, knowing this was bugging him, and said, "Hmm… um, no, not really. I think I would remember if I met someone in the past few days. Sorry."

Chris muttered, "I know you remember. _Every_ girl remembers me."

She shrugged, pursing her lips and shaking her head. "Nope, nothing. Well… maybe you do look a bit familiar. But I don't remember…"

"Well, even if you don't _remember_, wouldn't you _like_ to get to know me?" he asked, hopeful. Chris looked uncomfortable. Obviously, he wasn't the type who might be asking for this.

Alex rolled her eyes and put her hand on Frankie's shoulder. "I'm gonna go get us some snacks. Do you want anything?"

Frankie smiled at Alex and told her he wanted popcorn. "I'll pause the movie!" he quickly shouted to her.

She was already walking up stairs, but she mouthed a thank you before she was out of sight. When she reached the kitchen, she opened the pantry and pulled out a box of popcorn, opening it and reaching for a packet, then putting the box away. She pulled off the packet's wrapping and threw the plastic away, placing the popcorn in the microwave and turning it on.

Alex reached down into a cupboard and pulled out a big plastic bowl, placing it on the counter then grabbed two bottles of water. Once she was finished preparing everything, she turned around to wait for the popcorn to finish, and realized she had an audience.

The four boys were sitting at the island, just watching her. _Creepy_, Alex thought, quickly adding to herself, _and desperate_.

She leaned against the island facing the boys and asked, "Again, can I help you?" She was directing the question at Chris. His face suddenly brightened and he smiled hugely. "So you _do_ remember," he said triumphantly.

Alex rolled her eyes. "Well? Do you need something? I'm pretty sure you have something better to do than stare at someone making popcorn."

The boys shook their heads. Alex glanced at each before turning to the popcorn. Chris didn't have his "followers" with him today, he and Shane were with a tall dark haired boy with dark blue eyes and a shorter – yet still tall – boy with copper colored hair and green eyes.

Once the snack was finished in the microwave, Alex poured the bag into the large bowl and threw away the packet, tucking the water bottles under her arm and grabbing the bowl. She looked each boy up and down, pitying them but not showing it, and walked back downstairs.

"Dude, _when _did you get so lucky?"

"No idea."

"She's hot!"

"She actually remembered me. I knew it."

"I can _hear _you!" Alex called.

"Crap."

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A/N: Okay, I'll update ASAP. A lot going on right now and it might be a while till the next chapter is up. I'll be done soon :D


	6. Delightful Surprises

**A/N: Okay, here it is! FINALLY. That took sooo long you guys :P I hope you like it, and sorrrryyy for the wait D: Hoping this makes up for that dreadfully long period of time.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own WOWP/Camp Rock, or anyone in this story. Only the plot of it ^^**

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Normal POV

She lay on her side, rereading the note from her dreams over and over. Turning the piece of paper in her head over and over, hoping she would have the slightest clue. The note from her dream just several minutes ago woke her up. A note that had her name on it. She knew. The name started with an "A," while the rest of her name had been smudged into a charcoal mess.

At least something was coming back to her though. A part of her that should never have escaped was finding its way to the lost memories, unlocking the vault to seventeen years of knowledge that had vanished in an instant.

Alex pushed her covers back and sat up in bed, her brow still furrowed. She held out her hands, palms facing upwards, imagining the crumpled piece of paper of her imagination was still there. She stared at it, wishing that her name would be revealed to her… at least her name.

Sighing to herself, Alex realized this was the third time in a row that she'd woken up in the middle of the night. 3:43 am to be exact. Brushing her hair back, Alex stood up, mindful of her ankle, and opened her bedroom door. She walked outside of her room, and turned to the stairs. Before she could think, she ran into someone and landed on her butt with an, "Oomph," as she heard the other person do the same.

"Whoops, sorry Shane," Alex apologized, "I didn't really expect anyone else to be up this… early."

"It's all good," he said, extending a hand and helping her up after he had made his way to his feet. "What're you doing up anyways?"

"I could ask you the same question," Alex said, raising her eyebrows.

"You first," he smiled.

"Fine. I woke up because of a dream and couldn't go back to sleep."

"What dream?"

"Why are you up?"

"Gahh, fine, I had to pee. Now what dream?"

"First of all, TMI. Second, it was like… well, I was holding this note for myself, and it had my name on it, but only the first letter. 'A.' I don't know how I know it was my name, it just was. And the rest of it was blurred out," she explained.

"Ahh. So whatcha gonna do now?" Shane asked.

"I really don't know."

Shane rolled his eyes jokingly and laughed. As if it was so obvious what she should be doing at 3:45 in the morning.

"What?"

"Well, you seemed to know what you wanted to do when my brother was around this early in the morning."

Alex blushed slightly and bit her lip, starting to walk back into her room.

Shane mentally slapped himself for saying that and said, "Wait, look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I just…"

She looked up at him and gave him a small smile, saying, "No, it's fine. I guess it's just that I feel more… comfortable with him. He's like the first person who I ever really knew that I'd really want to know. And he saved my life. You know? I'm sure you'd be more comfortable around someone if they saved your life."

Shane nodded. "So, you gonna go back to sleep or what?"

"Nope, I'm not tired anymore. It's so weird. I always wake up around this time after a dream and I'm not tired anymore. Well, at least for the past few days. But I don't have anything to do now…"

His eyes suddenly brightened. "I have an idea… follow me."

Alex complied and followed Shane through the hall to his room.

"Umm… Shane? What are we doing here?"

He rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Don't worry; nothing like _that_."

Alex blushed, embarrassed, and nodded.

Shane walked through his room, which was surprisingly clean, and opened a sliding glass door that led to a huge balcony. The balcony had lightly colored marble flooring and a cement railing around it, carved to look somewhat like pillars. There were three sunchairs with dark red cushions that were placed around the balcony, and a small glass coffee table was near the edge of the balcony.

Sitting down on one of the chairs, Shane invited Alex to do the same.

"Okay, so… what now?" Alex questioned.

Pointing to the sky, he answered, "We can watch the stars."

Alex looked up and gasped. She had never thought something so beautiful existed. The stars twinkled every few seconds, each in their own patterns, and lay across the sky as if someone had poured a giant bucket of glitter over a dark blue canvas. The Milky Way was splayed across this blue canvas, adding to the beauty.

"Oh my God," was all she could say.

Shane looked at her from his chair. "I know right? There aren't many street lamps around this part of the city and there's a bit less air pollution. But I've always wondered what it'd look like in a completely deserted place – no lights, no pollution – a pure, serene place where you can just watch the stars."

Alex never thought Shane could be so deep. She smiled at him, letting him know she felt the same way. "Exactly."

Shane grinned. He finally figured that she could now be considered a friend.

Mitchie POV

We finally landed in California, our hotel being closer to "the country" of California. I, for one, had no idea California even had "the country." Until now, at least.

It took us thirty minutes to drive from the airport to our hotel, and fifteen minutes to get settled there. It was already 8:15 pm, so there was no reason to go searching for Alex now. All we could do was wait for the morning to come. God only knew if we would find her.

I had a hotel room all to myself, which wasn't too bad. Luckily, Alex's family's room and mine were joined by a door that I could lock or unlock any time, so it wouldn't get too lonely.

I walked out onto the hotel balcony and sighed, looking at the beautiful stars. If Alex were here, we'd be tracing non-existent constellations and laughing to tears about what we could come up with.

The next morning, everyone woke up at 7 am and we split up. Teresa and Max, Jerry, and Justin and I were in groups. We had all charged our cell phones last night in case we needed to call each other.

Teresa and Max went to search the downtown area while Jerry went to the police department for any updates, and then was to search the beaches and restaurants. Justin and I would ask around in neighborhoods and go door to door with a picture and contact information. Fortunately, we knew the general area where Alex was supposedly spotted and we walked around that part of the neighborhood, double-checking to make sure we stopped at each house.

Around noon we stopped and decided to go out for lunch, since all I had eaten for breakfast was a banana and a granola bar. Justin picked a burger place supposedly famous for their homemade ketchup. Really?

I didn't care though, all I wanted was to eat and find my best friend.

Normal POV

Alex woke up, still sitting on the patio chair. She rubbed her eyes and ran her fingers through her slightly tangled hair. She got up and took a shower, reflecting on her recent discovery. Right now, she was most intrigued with the letter "a" and was hoping to figure her name out by the end of the day, at least.

After another movie with Frankie, he and Alex decided to go out for lunch. Rebecca would be completely fine with her taking Frankie alone, but Alex asked Nate if he wanted to join her. Shane was allowed to come too, ever since his change in personality last night, and Jason was happy to come after he finished rehearsals.

The five of them jumped into Jason's sedan and debated on a place to eat. Shane volunteered some burger restaurant by the beach famous for their ketchup. What sort of place is famous for a tomato product? Well, apparently this one.

It was a fifteen minute drive to the beach and a five minute walk to the restaurant. Alex and Frankie picked a table near a window while Shane, Nate and Jason ordered the food.

"I'm gonna go get some napkins," Shane stated.

"Mmkay," replied Jason.

Shane turned from the line and ran into someone. _Again?_ He thought, smiling to himself.

"Sorry," Shane apologized, staring straight at a girl who looked to be about the "A-girl's" age.

"Oh, it's fine, it's my fault for not watching where I was going," she weakly smiled.

"No, no, it's okay. I'm Shane, by the way."

The girl extended her hand and he shook it.

"Mitchie," she replied.

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**A/N: Oh dang. What can I say? Just had to leave it at a cliffhanger. I was gonna go longer but I thought this would be a good place to end. Especially since I have a good train of thought for the next chapter :) Hope you enjoyed and I'd love to hear your comments!**


	7. Little Box

**A/N: Okay, people, here's the next chapter. At least it didn't take as long to update this time! :P Thank you to Jaymee and Fae for helping me out/giving me feedback. Love you guys (: Hehehe.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own WOWP or CR, if I did, I'd be rich and famous and stuff and probably wouldn't be writing this ;) **

Normal POV

Shane smiled. "Well, Mitchie, have you been here before?"

Mitchie grinned and shook her head. "Nope, I'm kinda here looking for a friend. We just flew in last night and we'll be here for a few days. Have you been here before?"

"Nah, but I've heard they have awesome ketchup."

"So you heard too huh?" she giggled.

"Well, are you here with anyone?"

"Just my friend's brother. I'm here with her family for a while," Mitchie explained, not wanting to go too in depth for fear of getting upset. She looked down at her feet, seeming uncomfortable, then looked up at Shane and smiled. "Are you here with anyone?"

Shane nodded, "Yep. My brothers and… a friend of ours. Hey, do you want to sit with us? You can invite your friend's brother too."

"Ah, that's sweet but I have to go… look around."

His face fell, so Mitchie quickly took a pen and sticky note from her purse. "But here," she said, jotting ten digits down, "is my number."

Mitchie smiled, grabbed her and Justin's order, and walked out the door.

Shane smiled widely as he brought the napkins back to the table.

"I saw you and that girl talking, Shane. Sooo…" Alex said, raising her eyebrows up and down.

"Sooo what?" Shane grinned, "Sooo she gave me her number."

Alex clapped her hands together, "Aww, Shane, that's awesome! What's her name?"

"Mitchie," Shane blushed and looked down at his hands.

"Looks like someone's got a crush," Alex joked in a sing-song tone.

"So what? It's not like you and my brother aren't always thinking about each other. Whenever you're gone, you're like _all_ he talks about."

She quickly looked down and blushed, but smiled and wrinkled her nose. "Really?" she questioned. Shane nodded, and Alex grinned even wider.

She looked up and saw Nate and Jason walking back to the table, food in hands. Alex smiled and shifted in her seat, suddenly interested in playing with her fingers.

Nate sat down next to her so that she was in between him and Frankie. To Frankie's left was Shane, to Shane's left was Jason, and to Jason's left was Nate.

After several minutes of awkward silence, Alex decided to run through a list of names in her head.

_Anna, Ally, Amy, Amanda, Alisha…_ she rejected the possibility of each one being her name while slowly chewing a French fry. _Alaina…nope_.

"So I never asked you guys, but do either of you have jobs?" Alex resorted to more awkward conversation. It was better than awkward silence.

Jason nodded, "Yeah, we're in a band… called Connect 3. I'd ask if you've heard of it but you probably don't know."

She wrinkled her nose and smiled, "Nope, never heard of it… well, I probably have actually. So where do you play? Or is your band just for fun?"

"No, our band is pretty serious," Shane chuckled, "We go on tour for a month every summer and play some shows here and there when we can."

"Wow so you're famous?"

"I like to think of us as rising talents… but yeah, I guess," Shane laughed.

Alex laughed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah," she giggled, "okay."

The next day, Mitchie woke up to the hot sun beating on her face. Rolling out of bed to close the curtains, Mitchie slowly made her way to her phone on its charger. She had two new messages. One was from Teresa telling her they had already left to look around for Alex but that they had left some money on the nightstand for breakfast.

She smiled when she read the next text.

_morning! how are ya? this is shane, btw. :)_

Mitchie brushed several strands of hair behind her ear and replied.

_good morning to you too. :D im pretty good. missing one of my friends, but im good. howsa goin with you?_

She smiled even wider when she set her phone on the dresser and got dressed. Shane seemed like an awesome guy, which was rare for boys around his age. Mitchie pulled on a pastel pink sundress and a wide white belt. She did her usual makeup and straightened her dark hair. She looked over to her nightstand when she heard her phone vibrating.

_im good. just woke up and im eating breakfast. anyways, are you busy 2nite?_

Mitchie was grinning so widely that it almost ached.

_nope! well, ill be free around 5:30. :) why? _

She felt her heart skip a beat when she read his message back.

_you wanna hang out tonight around 6?_

After pulling on some white flip flops Mitchie replied.

_sounds good. where should we meet?_

For some reason Mitchie found what should be the most uncomfortable shoes comfortable. She had no idea where she acquired the trait, but she didn't mind it. She enjoyed being able to wear adorable shoes without the pain of pinching or sore feet.

_let's meet at the burger place we were just at and well figure it out from there_

Mitchie grabbed a pale pink tote and woke Justin up.

_see you there. :)_

"You ready to go?" she pried for the thirtieth time since she woke Justin up.

He nodded, and she sighed dramatically. "Finally!"

"What's got you so excited, Shane?" Alex asked, amused with Shane's sudden frenzy to tidy up before 5:30.

"I have a date with Mitchie tonight," he admitted awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. This wasn't normal for Shane, he was usually the confident and outgoing guy who would laugh at behavior like this.

"Ooooh," she grinned, "you must _really_ like this girl."

Shane gave a confirming nod and held up two shirts to his torso. "Which of these works best for, like, a walk on the beach?"

Alex giggled. "Definitely the grey tee-shirt." She pursed her lips and looked at the jeans on his bed that were ready to be worn. "But don't wear those," she referred to the denim pants on the mattress, "wear shorts if you're gonna be walking on the beach."

He nodded and immediately turned his attention back to getting ready. _The_ Shane Gray was terrified for a date with a girl he just met.

"Trust me, you'll be fine," Alex raised her eyes and giggled at his sudden insecurity. She walked with him to the front door and gave him a quick hug before he departed, one hand fiddling with the keys in his pocket.

Alex turned and walked down the stairs to the basement. She turned the corner to find Nate and Frankie leaning over a small wooden box.

"What's that?" she asked them, placing her hand on Frankie's shoulder.

Both boys turned to her and smiled.

"Well, we were going through storage looking for some old CD's and found this box. I guess it belonged to our great grandmother and everyone forgot it was there," Nate gestured to it.

The box had small flowers carved into the top, a rose in the center of the polished wood lid, which was set next to the container. The inside was lined with royal blue velvet, and it contained four items. A small silver ring with a deep blue stone in the setting, a white handkerchief embroidered with the initials _MCA_, a journal with a brown leather cover and aging yellow tinted pages, and a tiny fabric doll with curly blonde hair and painted green eyes.

Letting out a deep breath that she'd realized she was holding, Alex stared at the objects. Frankie broke the sudden silence by claiming that he was hungry. She smiled and walked him upstairs into the kitchen, while Nate followed with the box in his hand and sat at the counter.

"What are you hungry for, sir?" Alex smiled.

"A ham sandwich!" he declared thoughtfully.

"And what would you like on said sandwich?"

"Ham, mayonnaise, lettuce, two squirts of mustard, and… tomato," Frankie said proudly.

Alex opened the fridge and placed the ingredients on the counter.

There were no sliced tomatoes, so she pulled out a fresh one and a knife and began slowly cutting into it until there was half of a tomato left.

Nate was looking through his great grandmother's box when he heard Alex hissing through her teeth and a knife dropping to the floor.

She clutched her left thumb as blood quickly trickled down, threatening to drip off of her wrist. Nate hurriedly grabbed several paper towels and, without thinking, grasped her wrist and pressed the towels to her wound. He pulled some disinfectant from the cabinet and wrapped a small bandage around the cut, since it wasn't as big as it was deep.

Alex blushed at the contact and weakly said, "Thanks."

"Does it still hurt?" Nate asked, seeming worried.

"A little, but I think it'll be okay," she smiled, looking into his eyes, and repeating, "Thanks."

"No problem," he replied breathlessly.

She smiled and jokingly raised her eyebrows at him, staring at his hand still gripping her wrist. He quickly dropped at and rubbed the back of his neck, a goofy smile on his face.

Both kept staring into the others' eyes, though.

Until Frankie loudly cleared his throat, and Alex went back to making his sandwich.

**A/N: Well, there it is! Hope you liked it, don't forget to review. Because you know I love your feedback ^_^ **


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